I think when the full extent is known, the use of private contractors in this war will be embarrassing to the Bush administration. I think this captures it nicely- something I remember hearing about on 60 minutes. Private contractors are scarily expensive and tens of thousands of them operate with little to no oversight.

The report also raised questions about the cost-effectiveness of using Blackwater forces instead of United States troops. Blackwater charges the government $1,222 per day per guard, “equivalent to $445,000 per year, or six times more than the cost of an equivalent U.S. soldier,” the report said.